Witnessing A Crime - Moral Obligation?

[jmcrae]

I’d feel like a bad parent who hadn’t done enough to warn my child of the danger of drugs or protect them from exposure to them.

Part of removing your child’s exposure to drug dealers, is reporting them to the police and getting them out of her school and neighborhood.

 

[Catholic90]

I’d feel like a bad parent who hadn’t done enough to warn my child of the danger of drugs or protect them from exposure to them.

Well that I agree on he may after watching his fathers actions he may himself employ them in his own life but if Jimmy grew up in a broken home with a absent father figure I think that would damage him quite severely in a mental sense.

He can either have no father figure (or one which is intermittent)
Or he can have a corrupt one.

Many children of good parents still are victims of drug dealers and get sucked in. Drug dealers do that. The best way to deal with drug dealers is to allow the police to arrest them and the judicial system to deal with them.

So you think having a corrupt father is better than having no father? Who are you to say he won’t have an influential adult male in his life, such as an uncle, a grandfather, etc.? The fact is drug dealers are not nice people. Would you want someone who values illegal drugs and illegal activity teaching yet another generation that this is acceptable?

Choices have consequences.

Everyone should learn that. If the child sees the jail as a consequence, don’t you think little Jimmy might think twice before breaking the law?

 

[ahs]

Well that I agree on he may after watching his fathers actions he may himself employ them in his own life but if Jimmy grew up in a broken home with a absent father figure I think that would damage him quite severely in a mental sense.

He can either have no father figure (or one which is intermittent)
Or he can have a corrupt one.

You are not responsible for keeping “Jimmy’s” family together. You are not resopnsible for his dad’s actions. If his dad commits a crime, his dad shoul dbe punished for that crime, lest he have to account for it when he dies and pay his retribution at that time, and you along with him for allowing the crime (See CCC 900, 904-905, 1829, 1868-1869, 1912-1914, 2238, and 2465-2473).

If you see his dad committing a crime such as drug dealing, you are morally obligated to report it because that crime is a crime against humanity. Your intention is to prevent the harm that drugs can do and to prevent further crime. The unfortunate side-effect is that a child may be left without a father figure. That is not your fault, it is the fault of the drug dealer. If that father figure is out dealing drugs…he wasn’t much of a father figure to begin with and you cannot put yourself in a position to say his means (dealing drugs) justifies an end (providing for his family). That “father” has a moral obligation to obey the law and to provide a good example to his son.

Likewise, you have a moral obligation to report the crime in order to protect the innocnece of children and to protect society as a whole.

 

[FAH]

Ok so the general consensus is that drug deals should be reported to the police. It looked very much like the man at the car window was receiving something that he sharply slipped into his pocket but what if these men were exchanging something else other than drugs?

 

[jmcrae]

Ok so the general consensus is that drug deals should be reported to the police. It looked very much like the man at the car window was receiving something that he sharply slipped into his pocket but what if these men were exchanging something else other than drugs?

It depends on how sure you are of what you saw. Don’t report it if you don’t know what you saw.

But you can say, “these guys don’t live on our street, and it seemed very clandestine; maybe you can keep an eye on that car.”

 

[Catholic90]

Ok so the general consensus is that drug deals should be reported to the police. It looked very much like the man at the car window was receiving something that he sharply slipped into his pocket but what if these men were exchanging something else other than drugs?

The question has been answered. If you see a crime, you should report it.

Or, you can keep making excuses and allow the criminals to run free, harming many others, including themselves.

Your choice.

My 19 year old son found some drug paraphernalia in a common area in our neighborhood after he noticed several people running through there late at night a few months ago. He called the police to report it. Now the police regularly cruise through our neighborhood, and we have not seen nor found anymore. If he can do the right thing, so can you.

 

[jmcrae]

My 19 year old son found some drug paraphernalia in a common area in our neighborhood after he noticed several people running through there late at night a few months ago. He called the police to report it. Now the police regularly cruise through our neighborhood, and we have not seen nor found anymore. If he can do the right thing, so can you.

Kudos to your son.

 

[catholicmamajoy]

Ok so the general consensus is that drug deals should be reported to the police. It looked very much like the man at the car window was receiving something that he sharply slipped into his pocket but what if these men were exchanging something else other than drugs?

Maybe you should wait to see if it occurs again. You should be able to tell if this is a common occurrence in your neighborhood.

As far as not wanting to report a drug-dealing parent because of
“breaking up the family”…just how functional is a drug-dealing family to begin with??

The vast majority of drive-by shootings involve drug dealings and when a house is a revolving door for recreational pharmaceuticals, it is an extremely dangerous place for a child to live. Junkies and thugs don’t care if they hurt children in midst of getting what they want (their next fix or their cash for the deal).

 

[FAH]

Maybe you should wait to see if it occurs again. You should be able to tell if this is a common occurrence in your neighborhood.

It didn’t happen on my street I was out for walk and the person with me told me to watch what was happening over there and we both saw a young man cycle up to a car window put something through ( I assume money) He was then handed something in return which he slipped in his pocket and he peddled of very quickly indeed. Sound like a drug deal to you?

I remembered the young man in prayer but know it seems that I’m morally obliged to inform the police of the deal he was part of.

You leave the house for a nice summers walk and you return morally obliged to report what you suspect was a drug deal. Oh well!

 

[Catholic90]

So then what you should do is call the non-emergency police number and tell them that the area where you were may be a suspected drug selling area. Tell them what you witnessed, and the police may step up their patrols of the area.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

So then what you should do is call the non-emergency police number and tell them that the area where you were may be a suspected drug selling area. Tell them what you witnessed, and the police may step up their patrols of the area.

^ This. The police are likely already aware of the drug dealers in the area (it’s their job to be aware), but they may not know that bicycles are being used, for examples. If you can describe the car and the people, as well as the bicycle, it may help them apprehend the dealers at some future point. Just make the phone call.

 

[Pug]

You leave the house for a nice summers walk and you return morally obliged to report what you suspect was a drug deal. Oh well!

Tell the police and see if they can use the information. For all you know, you could clear someone’s name and prevent a father from going to jail. You have no idea what will be the outcome in a situation like that. As someone else mentioned, don’t call 911. Call the local number for the police.

Unless you have the sort of local police who will just be annoyed with you and throw the info away in front of your face. I wouldn’t bother then, not unless I was reasonably sure I knew enough info that it would be criminal for the police to ignore it.

 

[FAH]

Well I’m not going to do anything about what I saw, except pray for all involved.

The person I was out walking with is a cop, I’ll leave it to him.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

If you saw something like drugs being passed between two people,
you should call the police and report what you saw being done, and the location.
That will help them patrol the location, and keep that activity down.
If you know the person who did it, and are certain he was passing illegal drugs,
you can write him or her an anonymous letter telling them you saw what they did
and that you will report them, by name, to the police if they do it again.
That should scare the living daylights out of them.
You do NOT have to give names in this situation, and you could be putting
YOUR family in danger if you do.
As for witnessing a violent crime like a rape or a brutal assault or a murder,
and you know who the perpetrator was,
call in anonymously and NAME HIM or HER to the police.

I am one who believes that crimes against God’s Laws should also be reported, to the church. So if you see a parishoner having an affair with someone to whom they are not married, TELL the innocent spouse and TELL the pastors and deacons of the church.
Telling on people works both ways. In society and in the church…

 

[Catholic90]

If you saw something like drugs being passed between two people,
you should call the police and report what you saw being done, and the location.
That will help them patrol the location, and keep that activity down.
If you know the person who did it, and are certain he was passing illegal drugs,
you can write him or her an anonymous letter telling them you saw what they did
and that you will report them, by name, to the police if they do it again.
That should scare the living daylights out of them.
You do NOT have to give names in this situation, and you could be putting
YOUR family in danger if you do.
As for witnessing a violent crime like a rape or a brutal assault or a murder,
and you know who the perpetrator was,
call in anonymously and NAME HIM or HER to the police.

I am one who believes that crimes against God’s Laws should also be reported, to the church. So if you see a parishoner having an affair with someone to whom they are not married, TELL the innocent spouse and TELL the pastors and deacons of the church.
Telling on people works both ways. In society and in the church…

I disagree with YOU telling the innocent spouse. Tell the offender what you saw, what do not insert yourself into a relationship by telling the spouse. That is overstepping your bounds.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

I see your point,
but *** ALL *** snitching
involves overstepping one’s bounds, to some extent.
No, I personally wouldn’t tell the innocent spouse
(sometimes they wouldn’t believe me and might smack me in the mouth for it, LOL ),
but I probably would tell the church elders/priests, especially if the person is brazen about it and gives every evidence of UNrepentance.
Our sins are crimes in the eyes of God,
and when we sin flagrantly, that brings reproach not only on us,
but upon the entire Christian congregation AND upon God’s own name.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t snitch on the offender unless and until
I had first warned him that I knew what he has been doing and will go to the Church
if he does not put forth a sincere effort to stop it.
I think just ratting people out, without warning them and giving them a chance to
change their ways, is beyond despicable.